Stolen
by silv3rstar
Summary: A girl with an inerasable past falls in love with the man that caused a past tragedy. Will Sakura choose to stay in love, or will she force herself to see the truth and give up...One shot! RnR


April 20, 2005

≈**§τοlεη≈**

The wind whipped around her and roared in her ears. Sitting cross-legged on her special rock, Sakura Kinomoto clutched herself tighter. Her cold, cloudy eyes stared blankly out at the merciless sea.

'Not just two days ago, we had sat here, and he had held me and protected me from harm's way. Why did they have to take him away from me?' tears shimmered in her bright emerald eyes. A piece of stubborn, soft auburn hair insisted on framing Sakura's delicate face. Sakura shut her eyes and let the tears flow free…

_Two Days Ago:_

_"An apple for my beautiful lady," Syaoran Li smiled his most charming smile. He presented an apple from his sack, and offered it to Sakura. Sakura laughed a clear, ringing laugh, took the apple from his hands and gave his lips a small brush with her own. _

_"Damn. That always gets me thinking bad thoughts…" Syaoran grinned suggestively, as he ran his hand through his messy chocolate hair. Playfully, Sakura shoved him away, but with one wild growl, Syaoran tackled her down onto the soft, rich sand. _

_Syaoran swooped down and…_

_"Sakura, I really want you to know that I really love you. You've made me feel like nothing I've ever felt before." Syaoran murmured. His voice was muffled by Sakura's hair since he was snuggling against her. _

_Sakura sat up abruptly. Her eyes were moist and she stared into his eyes with such passion nobody's ever seen. _

_"Syao, I love you, too. I need you to know that." She leaned over and gave him a long, sweet kiss that lingered on Syaoran's lips. _

_A dark shadow loomed overhead, blocking out the warmth of the afternoon sun._

_"Sakura Kinomoto! What the hell do you think you're doing!" _

_"Father! We…uh…I…listen! We weren't doing anything and…and we just bumped into each other! Honestly!" Sakura explained, desperately. Fujitaka Kinomoto glared coldly at his 25 year old daughter._

_"You two bumped into each other? And somehow, his hands got stuck in your hair and his lips somehow found their way to yours?" Sakura's father was whispering. Definitely _not_ a good sign. _

_"Listen, Kinomoto-san. We honestly weren't doing anything. Besides, I hardly think you have the authority to tell your daughter what kind of friends she should have." Syaoran interrupted. Fujitaka's eyes slowly shifted towards Syaoran's direction. _

_"And you, young man, think you have the authority to speak to me in a tone like that? I have absolutely no problem if she is friends with Eriol, or Tomoyo—but not with you. Sakura! Come with me." Fujitaka extended his hand towards his daughter. Sakura moved swiftly behind Syaoran._

_"Father, we've talked about this before. I really like Syaoran; can't you give us a chance?" Sakura pleaded. _

_"Chance! His family killed your mother! Did they ever give her a chance to live? How can you do this to me! She was your mother…" Fujitaka's eyes were ablaze with anger. Angry tears squeezed their way out of his eyes. _

_It was two months ago when Sakura found out that Syaoran's family was the family that had accidentally crashed into Nadeshiko one Christmas, three years ago. Love had made her forgive him for that accident. Besides, she told herself, Mother might've died even if she could have avoided that peril. How could Sakura blame Syaoran for committing something that he did not even intend to do in the first place?_

_"It was a horrible accident, Father. Three years. It's been three years! Why can't we just put the past behind us? What's happening now is most important." murmured Sakura. _

_Sakura never saw it coming; neither had Syaoran. It was the first time in years that her father had smacked her. The blow flung her down on the sand…and then…silence._

_"Sakura…Sakura, I'm so sorry. Gomen!" Fujitaka fell on his knees and covered his face with his hands. With a shaky voice Fujitaka said to Syaoran, "I think it's best if Sakura comes home with me right now."_

Two days ago. How Sakura wished she could relive that day and maybe the ending would be somewhat different. Madness. That is the perfect word to describe all of this. Utter madness. How stricken she was when the news finally reached her at the school.

_"Sakura Kinomoto. You have two officers outside wishing to speak to you for a second." her teacher Ms. Applebee had announced to not only Sakura, but also 30 other students._

_"Yes? I am Sakura Kinomoto. Is there something wrong?" Sakura inquired at once when she met the two officers. One was a fairly young officer, with sandy blonde hair and a breathtaking smile. Jamie was his name as Sakura learned from his nametag. The other was a middle-aged man named Billy, with a thick, burly moustache and lovely dancing hazel eyes. _

_"If we're not mistaken, you're the daughter of Fujitaka Kinomoto?" when Sakura nodded, Billy continued, "We have a few questions to ask you."_

_"Wait! Is this some sort of interrogation? What's happened to my father? Is he alright?" Sakura babbled. She had a tendency to babble when she was nervous or excited. _

_"Oh, yeah. Your father's fine, just kind of shaken. The poor guy that he ran over, however…well, we don't even know if he'll make it past today's sunset." explained Jamie. _

_Sakura's eyes grew wide with bewilderment, then astonishment, and finally, acknowledgement. A terrible feeling grew inside of her as realization finally hit her like a bullet. _

_"What hospital is the guy at!" shouted Sakura._

_"Saint Marilyn's Hospital. But wait…what the…Hey! Missy, wait!" Sakura bolted out the doors of her college. She sprinted harder than she ever had before. Harder, even, than at track practices in High School. She wasn't the track star 2 years straight for nothing. _

_The hospital was only two blocks away from the college. Getting there on foot was no big problem._

_"Excuse me, nurse! Someone named Syaoran Li was rushed in here. What room is he at?" questioned Sakura breathlessly. Running two blocks with full force could do that to someone. _

_"Let me just check. Hold on a second." _

_It seemed like a lot longer than just a second. Seemed like eternity before the nurse finally spoke again._

_"He's still in the operating room on the second floor. Just get into the elevator and go down to the second floor. When you walk out, the operating room will be right in front of you." _

_Sakura didn't even wait for the nurse to finish whatever she was saying. When she reached the elevator, she thought, 'The elevator is so slow! Why is it so slow? Syaoran…wait for me—I'll be with you soon.'_

_Sakura found herself in front of the operating room two minutes later. It wasn't the least bit surprising when she found that no one was waiting impatiently for Syaoran to finish his operation, or crying over their near loss._

_Syaoran's family and relatives were all settled in Japan. He only came to Hong Kong to find an occupation. Eriol and Tomoyo probably weren't even notified yet. _

_Sakura, finally over the initial shock, sank down to her knees and began to sob. The tears were out of control now; they just kept coming. _

_Feeling a hand on her back, soothing her, consoling her, Sakura turned around and came face to face with her father._

_"Sakura, look at me." whispered Fujitaka._

_"NO! You're gross. How could you do that to Syaoran? What has he ever done to you?" Sakura cried. Fujitaka's face immediately hardened._

_"I'm gross? What about you? We used to be so close together. What happened to that relationship? Take this situation, for instance; you went looking for Syaoran instead of me. I am your father! He is only a boy! There are dozens of them out there in this world!" snarled her father._

_"You're jealous!" asked Sakura, standing up, "You did all that to us out of jealousy! Father, how could you!"_

_"HIS FAMILY KILLED YOUR MOTHER! Do you really not care—"_

_"His family; I'm glad you said 'his family killed mother'. It wasn't him! How can you blame someone for a crime he did not commit?" shouted Sakura. Tears squeezed their way out. Sakura whipped around, sobbing and trying to recollect herself._

_"Go. Go away," whispered her father. Surprised, Sakura turned around, searching her father's eyes for an answer._

_"Get out of here!" Fujitaka roared. Sakura fled. She ran blindly down the corridor, past the nurses, past the doors of the room that held death. _

The wind lashed around, grabbing everything within its reach, and pulling—pushing--it away…away…

Sakura rested her soft, flushed cheeks on her knees, as she tried curling herself into a ball to keep away the cold, to keep away the nightmare. She closed her eyes as she began slip away.

_Beep! Beep! _

The phone rang persistently. No one picked up, yet it did not go away. The slow beeping of the phone and the beating of Sakura's heart was in unison, as she melted into unconsciousness…

_After fleeing from her very own father, Sakura found herself looking down adoringly at Syaoran's peaceful, yet rugged face. The operation had ended only a few moments ago. The doctor had said that Syaoran would either wake up before today's sunset, or he may never wake up at all. Who knew how long he would take to once again open his intensifying hazel eyes. _

_Days?_

_Weeks?_

_Months?_

_Years?_

_Or…never?_

_Her mother used to say "You will know what true love is, when you find your heart broken into pieces so small it could pass through the eye of a needle". _

_"This is true love." murmured Sakura. Stumbling down onto the chair beside Syaoran's bed, Sakura buried her head deep into Syaoran's neck. Eternity of silence passed by before she realized that what she thought was silence, was only her deafness to her own sobbing. _

"She's not picking up the phone!" muttered Eriol. He pushed back his bluish black hair in frustration. A very attractive girl with grayish brown hair bustled into the hospital room.

"I've looked everywhere! She isn't at home; isn't at the school. She's not even at the mall! Where could she be at a time like this?" choked Tomoyo. Her amethyst eyes clouded up with worry.

"…all my fault…She said something about needing to clear her mind earlier today. I've been a very bad father. Sakura wouldn't even talk to me unless it was absolutely necessary." said Fujitaka. His usual clean shaven face was sunken in, and the dark circles around his eyes indicated an incident that was inerasable.

Everyone in the room stayed silent, anticipating the rest of Fujitaka's speech. It did not come.

**_Sakura's Dream (written in her POV):_**

**_My sweat dribbled down my cheeks and dripped onto my swimming suit. I did not care. Syaoran paced behind me, chasing me, hunting me. I slowed a little—just a little—to let him catch up to me. His arms wound around my slender waist and a joyful scream exploded from my lips. The sea sprinted lusciously beside us, gesturing us in. I reached behind and tickled Syaoran. He let go, as if a poisonous snake—a cute poisonous snake—had bitten him. Diving into the deep, cold sea, I let myself shiver for a few seconds before relaxing to the flow of the waves. _**

**_Sensing someone near me, I opened my eyes underwater. Did it sting? No. Everything was clear, too clear for the tragedy that would unroll before my eyes. _**

**_Syaoran was swimming towards me, with a big goofy smile plastered on his face. I watched in intense horror as the smile changed into the shape of a scream. His eyes, once joyous and gay, were sinking. They became two hollow objects, much to the resemblance of mini golf balls. The Darkness behind him spread like squid's ink. It flowed towards him, capturing him. The Darkness crawled slowly behind him. Then, it crawled around him, sucking him in. The Darkness fogged up everything I could see. But it was still too clear, much too clear. Syaoran has gone into darkness forever._**

_**And I could only watch it happen... **_

****Sakura sat straight up. Her eyes were crystal balls of madness and uncertainty. The dream clung to her like leeches, and wouldn't let go. It sucked all the blood out of her, till her fingers were cold and limp.

It was right then, out of the doubt, the confusion, the pain, a soft familiar kiss dissolved the mere existence of the leeches and the dream they represent. The pieces of her shattered heart pieced itself together. Warmth from the very top of Sakura's head spread all the way down to her tippy toes.

The darkness vanished; every last thought of it. What was stolen has been found, as true love gazed into each other's eyes.

**Epilogue**

_**Page from Sakura's Diary:**_

Perfect. Everything was perfect. Have you ever driven past a place—or strolled past a place—and caught this feeling of utter perfection? Just like a picture from a story book; fairy tales with the happily ever after and all that. This may not be the end, but a new beginning. I think I enjoy this beginning a lot more than I have ever enjoyed anything.

Sitting on my favorite rock, on my favorite beach, with the best apple, and the man I have already dedicated my life to.

It so happens, that after I left the hospital the day I fled from my father, Syaoran had woken up. I had left for the beach, and from there, I had fainted from all the grief.

No one knew where I was and Syaoran was frantic. Finally, Syaoran thought about the place where we spend most of our romantic evenings, and decided to search there (of course he ordered Eriol and Tomoyo to search, since the doctor would not let Syaoran leave the bed).

After they found me, they hurried me to the hospital. When I woke up, I met my future.

You might be wondering, "What about your father?" I would really have to smile at that. My father has done some serious thinking over the last couple of days and has decided that what he did was ridiculous and immature of him. Syaoran—close to being his son-in-law—did not charge my father.

There is always a minor bit of awkwardness between those two, but time will heal all wounds. I secretly caught them flipping through my family albums today. Sweet, eh?

Each day for me, is like an hour glass. You expect the sand to slither down more slowly, but before you know it, it's over. All the sand has rejoined together. I guess time really flies when you're in love. I have nothing to wish for, except that the sand in the hour glass would freeze, and let this moment stay forever.

Love, Sakura

The End--

Tell me how you liked this story. It's just something I came up with and really felt the urge to write out and share with someone. If you guys have any Q's, please feel free to email or IM me. By the way, the reason I didn't really include Eriol and Tomoyo in this story, is because I wanted to focus on Sakura and Syaoran. Anywho…R&R!

**«§ïlνεя§τaя»**


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